Mama's Boy
by AlwaysInSonder
Summary: Nick doesn't remember being this tiny as a four-year-old.


**A/N: Might be helpful to read _Nick's Gift_ before reading this one. But this story stands reasonably on its own as a one-shot. Enjoy!**

* * *

The room they were brought into was dimly lit. From the manner the old photos on the walls peeled at the edges and how the dust had settled into a fine layer on the corners of the desks, it had not been taken care of in a long while either.

Nick frowned and pulled in a deep breath, regretting it almost immediately after as dust choked his airways. The air was stale and dusty - fresh air has not graced the room in a long while too.

The room was mostly quiet – almost unsettlingly so. There was only the sound of a ticking clock on the table before him and his wife's soft sighs and the rustle of her clothes as she fidgeted in her seat.

Nick reached next to him and curved an arm around his wife's waist, and tugged her to his side gently. On any other day, the bunny would relax into his hold and rest her little head on his shoulder for snuggles her kind were prone to. This time, however, she sat ramrod straight; her violet eyes – usually so brilliant and full of life, were tired and there was nothing short of anxiety in them. They were focused on the wall behind the empty seat where an old photo of miserable looking cubs and kits stood solemnly before an aged yak.

"You'll worry a hole into that wall-"

"What if he doesn't like me?"

"…Sweetheart. He'll _adore_ you. Trust me."

"But I'm a bun- "

Nick gently took his wife's paw and squeezed it gently; giving her a stern, but loving look. He could not blame her for her uneasiness, but he could not understand why she would think a kit could find it in them to dislike her of all mammals. Judy took to motherhood as she did to anything else in life – she enters absolutely vehement, succeeds with sheer grit and bending the universe to her will. At least, that's what it looked like to him.

Her worries were unfounded as far as he was concerned. If the manner she cared for Thea, their newborn kit, was of any indication; she was a loving, dedicated mother and it will be no different with their adopted kit. Even if he was a four-year-old fox cub.

As for him…well.

There was no question that he was absolutely besotted with his tiny daughter from the moment she had been nothing but a blueberry-sized dot on the ultrasound screen. He had heard stories from his colleagues that they truly felt like fathers when their wife finally gave birth and they held their kit in their arms. But for Nick, the very first day he caught sight of his daughter, that day alone turned him into a father.

Which also meant that he annoyed the ears off of his wife with his ferocious over-protectiveness.

Previously, Nick had always been ambivalent towards children. Sure, some of them were cute. And there were the occasional few that managed to warm his heart. But none had come as close to melting his heart as his own kit does, every day of his life.

What if he couldn't find it in him to love him unconditionally?

In a perfect world, they would have preferred an infant. They were painfully new to parenthood with Judy barely healed from birthing Thea. Can they trust themselves to parent a relatively grown kit?

But the world was far from perfect and they were hardly in a position where they can be picky and they both went into this together with the agreement that they will love to death _any_ kit they are given. They've waited close to a year for their kit and he was finally coming to a family who yearned to love him.

They were warned that he was going to be a 'difficult' child – that two families before them had given up on him. From what records Nick had managed to poke his nose through with his smooth-talking, they garnered that he was born into a broken home. The father an unemployed drunkard who'd stuff the helpless child into cupboards in fits of rage and a mother who was killed taking a wrong turn home.

The door clicks open behind them and both mammals tensed. A bespectacled antelope enters with a stack of folders.

"Mr Wilde, Mrs Wilde."

He gave each of them a nod and Judy uncharacteristically only returned a weak smile.

"Well, it seems the papers are in order and you are very competent parents it would seem. It's almost strange that you had to wait this long…"

He trailed off and Judy just glanced over at her husband, rolling her eyes. He smirks and squeezed her paw discreetly.

Adoption wasn't a joke. It was tough and even worse so for an inter-species couple. There was the issue of marking – a parent's scent on their young that allowed them to identify their families. Most abandoned kits didn't have a mark, and forming a new one takes a frustratingly long time, even if they were of the same species. Sometimes it never does and that's when adoptions fail.

The social worker spoke to them frankly. At the first sign of incompatibility; they would have to take him away immediately. Do not get too attached.

 _Bullshit_.

Nick knew his wife; she was going to love him whether he liked it or not. She was going to be choking the little thing with unbridled affection and shower him with all the care he needed. Pretty much how she got through to an old, cynical fox he once knew. She wouldn't even care if she would get her heart broken in the process.

The social worker finally hands over the paperwork that declare them as new parents and Nick reaches out for it as Judy looks like she's about to pass out from an odd mix of anxiety and excitement.

He glances over the papers and frowns.

"Is his name really Johnny Doe? I mean, he's a _fox_."

"It's a placeholder, Mr Wilde. He doesn't really respond to any name."

"How could you not know his name?"

The antelope looks red-faced as he quickly reshuffled the papers on his desk.

"The system is really backlogged at the moment. We don't even know his parents' names or his date of birth. Cub Protective Services turned him over to us. "

Nick gave Judy a sidelong glance and returned it to the mammal before him. He supposed there was no point in going off at a worker who probably took orders from higher up and was likely powerless beyond doing menial paperwork.

"He'll be brought to your home tomorrow morning. Is his room prepared?"

"Yes… but, we have not decorated it yet though. I didn't want him to feel overwhelmed and we wanted to make sure that we get toys and things that he actually likes. And the colours- "

"There's a comfy bed, the heater's working perfectly and we even have a radio and kit cam linked to our room installed. We know of his…history; so there aren't any cupboards in his bedroom. There's a newborn in the house, so everything's kit-proofed as well."

The mammal looks amused and nods.

"Then we've got it all settled. Congratulations, and…well, good luck."

* * *

Nick doesn't remember being this tiny as a four-year-old. Then again, he doesn't have much memories as a four-year-old.

He is a tiny little thing with the biggest, soulful eyes he'd ever seen on any young fox kit. How can any sane mammal even muster a fleeting thought to hurt him?

"Hey…buddy. Welcome to your new home."

He wonders if it sounds too curt but thankfully, Judy takes over before he scares the child away. He watches his wife squat to his eye level, introducing herself and him before holding out her paws asking if he'd like a hug.

The kit only stares at her ominously and looks up – way up, at him. Nick cracks a weak smile he desperately hopes doesn't make him look like an idiot. But the kit didn't seem to be bothered by strained smiles. He seemed to be more…intrigued by the bunny before him. His paw lifts to point at Judy.

"Mama?"

"Yes, baby. But you don't have to call me mama if you don't want to. Judy's fine. Now, what's your name?"

He only blinks at her and looks about him in the house. His nose twitches occasionally, sniffing; analyzing the environment around him. Nick wonders what it would be like to be handed from home to home - like unwanted baggage.

"Okay… you tell me what you want to be known by when you're ready, alright honey?"

Was he wondering if he was only going to here temporarily?

Judy had managed to cajole him into her arms and she balanced the kit on her hip, showing him around his new home. He seemed to like the designated playroom-cum-library best and Judy promises to bring him there again later.

"And this is your room. You'll sleep here."

Judy carried the little kit into the empty, but sizeable room and set him down on his feet.

"It's mostly empty now, but we didn't know what colour to paint it or what toys you'd like. What colour would you like to have?"

He stares quietly around the abode and Nick wonders if the big, well-lit room might overwhelm the little kit who was used to the stifling darkness of cupboards.

The tiny fox looks about him quietly and then returns his soft amber gaze to Judy who'd gone to kneel to his height. His soulful eyes looked into the gentle, warm ones of his new mother. Nick almost misses his soft mumble.

"Purple."

* * *

"This is your baby sister. Her name's Thea."

He almost expects the small fox to recoil at being shown the swaddled, hybrid kit. Instead, he looks on in awe. He looks up at Judy, almost as if asking for permission before gently touching one of her little paws with his.

"Why not… moving?"

"She's sleeping, honey. When she wakes up, she'll say hello to her big brother."

"Big… bruh-ther."

He repeats the words and stares blankly at the bundled baby bunny-fox. Thea's little paw moved closer to the warmth of her new brother's before clutching it tightly. The tiny fox's face almost looks like his own expression when the nurse first handed Thea to him. Nick felt something in his chest swell.

* * *

After a particularly gruelling day in the precinct, Nick drove to his mother's apartment to pick up his kits. Judy was now off maternity leave and was on a difficult case that required her immediate attention. Asking his mother for help was a breeze. She'd practically kit-napped them and would happily raise them on her own if she could.

He sighed heavily as his car inched slowly amongst the commuting traffic leaving the city and groaned at the fifth red light in a row. Even worse, his car came to a halt at the largest intersection, which meant that another five minutes was added to the time before he got to hug his kits.

He reached for his phone and flicked through the pictures; cracking a smile occasionally at the multiple adorable snaps of his daughter. He knew he annoyed Fangmeyer to death by talking his ear off with the story of how his daughter had started to crawl. His genius kit already crawling.

There were several snaps of Judy in between. Most were of her holding Thea and there were some innocent snaps of her on their date nights sipping on a mocktail or racy ones that he knew was going to earn him a good ear twist.

And then something dawned on him like a bucket of cold water.

There were no photos of his son. Nick immediately feels sick to the stomach and loses sight of reality for a moment. His worst fear had come true. He didn't even consider his son. A few weeks in and he was already screwing up being a father.

He dwelled in his debilitating guilt, that he didn't notice the lights changing to green and jumped at the sudden cacophony of honks behind him.

* * *

"Da!"

"Why, hello my Princess."

Nick's heart immediately lifted at the excited squeal of his daughter and all traces of exhaustion left his limbs. He dramatically swooped to a bow before taking his youngest kit into his arms from his mother. Her little arms immediately latched around his neck and clinged on to him tighter than he'd seen koala cubs do.

While he nuzzled and showered his younger kit with love and affection as he always does, his son looked on quietly on from behind his grandmother's skirts.

"Thanks Ma. I'm taking the day off tomorrow so I'll be looking after them."

"Nicky."

Nick stiffened as he heard his mother's careful tone and gently set his daughter into the portable car seat.

"Where's my baby boy?"

He cringed at the awkward tone of his voice. Judy made it sound way more loving so effortlessly.

The kit refused to budge from his spot and only seemed to clutch his grandmother's skirts tighter. Marian sighed and gently took off his little paws and knelt to his level.

"Okay sweetie, time to go home."

"I don't wanna…"

His mother gently strokes his ears and mumbles words he would guess only mothers and kits understood as he'd seen Judy do. Either way, it comforted the kit and he reluctantly came over to his side.

"Hello Sir."

Nick ignored the little stab to his heart.

"Hey sport. Had a good day with grandma?"

The little fox only nodded politely and glanced behind him to his grandmother with those sad, wide eyes of his before padding off to buckle himself into the car. Nick can only look on after the kit incredulously and turned to his mother.

"Give him and _yourself_ time. As much as you're getting used to him, he's getting used to you."

"He's already attached to Judy…"

Naturally, Judy had managed to mark him within a week. The tiny kit adored his adopted mother and looked forward to his evening naps on her lap while she stroked his ears. What's so great about his wife's cushiony lap anyway? Her ear scratches weren't _that_ great. He can just take his naps in the cold bed of theirs alone. Nick wasn't jealous at all.

"Nicky, come on. You've always had a tough time letting mammals warm up to you."

He cracked a weak smile for his mother and gave her a hug and a kiss. Right before leaving, he paused at the door and turned over to his mother.

"Hey Ma…what did you tell him?"

"Exactly what I told you."

Nick contemplates on that, but gives a wave and carries off Thea's seat towards the car.

Marian looked on as her son carefully strapped Thea into her seat and sighed heavily.

"You two really are like father and son already."

* * *

Without Judy home and Thea down for bed, the house was oddly quiet.

His son is curled up in the little teepee tent Clawhauser made for him in the corner, reading a book quietly. Nick wonders if it's normal for a fox kit to be this quiet. He remembered being quite active, enjoying the outdoors and annoying the fur off his parents. Well, that was before his father's death, at least.

Nick sighs at the door and steps into the room. He feels a sudden shoot of fiery pain on his right foot and yowls. He cursed loudly, flicked off the stray toy block and growled in frustration under his breath.

But then he hears a whimper and all remnants of anger and frustration leave his body.

"…Buddy?"

He finds the kit cowering in the little tent, curled up in a tight ball and looking at him fearfully through the gaps in his arms. His trembling quickens as he approached closer and Nick hesitated before the kit.

* * *

"He's… _afraid_ of me. He sees that abusive ass- ah, moron of a father in me."

Nick tries hard to hide the pain in his voice.

"You know he can't help it, honey."

Thea yawned and Nick waited to hear her soft steady breaths before continuing. His mother sighed heavily on the other line.

"I scare him. I can't believe it."

He supposes he's meant to sound outraged, but there's only heartbreak. He never thought that he could feel so much hurt from being a parent.

The kit therapist had told him that it wasn't either of their faults. Besides, the kindly anteater told him that his son was a remarkably precocious kit and it wouldn't take him long to unlearn the abusive patterns of his father. But they should never rush him.

"It…hurts."

"But that's what being a parent means, Nicky."

"You get scared out of your mind the one second, worry until your blood pressure goes off the roof and have your heart broken the next. But then they'll come to you saying 'I love you, Mama' and then it's all better again. You can _never_ bring it in you to stop loving them, as much as you worry you don't. Do you get what I mean honey?"

Nick presses his phone closer to his ear, his other paw cradled around Thea who slept blissfully on her daddy's chest. Her tiny paws clutched his police badge and he hastily unclipped it and slipped it carefully from her paws. She stirred for a bit, her little paws eventually grasping his pocket. It was almost as though she was clutching his melting heart.

"…Yeah, I think I do."

Thea nuzzles against his chest and held her daddy's shirt closer to her. It felt like she was comforting him.

 _Silly daddy. We know you love us._

"Hey Ma? …I love you."

He could almost hear his mother smile.

* * *

One night, Nick is woken by a little figure with glowing amber eyes by their bed. He sits up immediately, careful not to disturb a snoozing Judy. Both had acute night vision, which didn't necessitate turning on the lamp.

It wasn't anything unusual. Judy would take him back to his room, read him a book and gently stroke his ears as he went back to sleep. This time, his wife was knocked out. She had been working for three days straight on the case and Nick wouldn't be surprised if that was the first time she finally had sound sleep.

"Hey buddy…Had a bad dream again?"

Nick smiles gently down at the kit and carefully slides out of bed, tucking Judy underneath the sheets. The kit looks hesitant, but Nick takes the kit's paw and brings him back to his room.

"Go on, pick any."

He gestured to the wide shelf pushed to the side of the room filled with multiple picture books. Many were gifts from the guys back at the station and old books from his own kithood that his mother had in storage.

But it seemed like his kit already made his selection as he's already under the sheets, holding out the little hardcover to him. Nick takes the book and sits at the edge of the bed. His eyes scan the cover and he feels his heart stop. The book is worn-out and almost falling apart. The pictures nearly faded out, but the words still easy to make out.

" _Robin Hood again Nicky? I've read that to you yesterday!"_

" _But it's my favourite! Is it about you and Mama?"_

 _The supposed Maid Marian looks up at her husband and gives him a knowing smile._

" _Something like that, baby. But it's about a fox that lived many, many years ago."_

 _Their son is nearly jumping out of his bed in excitement and Marian tenderly tucks the covers around him, brushing the soft fur on her kit's head to calm him gently. As always, it works. The little fox yawns and snuggles underneath the sheets, clutching the weathered book tightly in his paws._

" _Pa, can you and Ma do the voices again?"_

 _Robin, or rather, Robert as he is formally known, chuckles but nods. Marian pulls a wool green hat with a red feather attached to its side from her pocket. His mother sits on his other side and lovingly places the hat on him._

" _There you go my little hero. I made it last night."_

He feels a small paw on his shoulder shaking gently and Nick turns to see a curious amber gaze.

"Read?"

"Sure, sport. I loved this as a kit myself. You got good taste."

He ruffles the kit's fur affectionately and feels something in his chest lighten as the little fox cracks a sweet, shy smile. Just for him.

He reads the story to the kit, who, Nick couldn't help but notice, looked more lively than he had his entire month with them.

The next morning, the little fox tells Judy to call him Robin. Judy blinks and looks over to her husband in surprise and he can only give her his playful, but loving smirk. It was almost as if it were meant to be.

* * *

"How about some race cars? Or one of them Trek Wars characters. Kits like that shit, right?"

Nick only rolls his eyes and flicks through pictures of kit's bedrooms on Pigtrest. Most were too fancy for his liking and he knew instinctively his little son would prefer something a lot more…simple.

"Finn, he's lived in dank little cubbies his whole life. He isn't going to give a crap about what's on the wall."

The old fox only kissed his teeth and almost reached for the cigarettes in his back pocket before remembering where he was. He'd offered to paint the walls for the kit and after being absolutely smitten by the quiet little kit, asked if he could do a mural for the newest family member as well.

Nick knew the older fox will never admit it, but 'Crazy Uncle Finn' quickly formed a soft spot for the little fox as he did for his sister. It was honestly the most amusing thing ever to see a notoriously reckless fennec cradle an infant kit like she was a delicate glass piece or give piggy back rides to the young fox.

Finnick may have been used to spray-paints, but his artistry was not at all diluted with actual paint. He was responsible for the lovely meadow scenery in Thea's nursery – inspired by Judy's home town. He had refused cash from them and Nick swore he saw the tips of his huge ears turn pink as Judy gushed over the mural.

Nick looked about the room and his eyes rested on the weathered book on the bedside table.

"Actually…I have an idea."

* * *

On a particularly stormy night, Nick wakes up to his wife's nudging. Judy was wide awake, squinting at the kit monitor stationed next to her side of the bed.

"Thea's snoozing right through it. Amazing."

"She gets it from me."

He chuckles quietly as he dodges an elbow and curls his arms around his wife to settle back into sleep.

"Oh wait. Robin's not in-"

Nick's out of the sheets before she even completes the sentence and he's briskly making his way to his son's room. He knew the kit hated thunderstorms and had fits of panic that he keeps to himself instead of calling out for help no matter how many times Judy told him it was okay to.

He checks under the bed, in the wardrobe and goes to his favourite corner in the playroom. He feels his heart rate pick up and he makes his way back to the master bedroom. Judy's on the opposite end of the hallway, looking into Thea's nursery – a paw over her mouth. Nick feared the worst and rushed over to his wife's side.

"What's wrong?"

He realized as he got closer that she's holding back giggles.

Robin was curled by his sister, a small distance away from her crib. Just as though he was protecting her.

* * *

"You like ice cream, bud?"

Robin looks over at him from his kit seat and nods. For a fox kit, he's awfully quiet. But Nick eventually figured there was nothing to worry about there. Judy did say that some kits were perfectly content with being left on their own at times. Sort of like himself.

The car slows down next to an ice cream parlour. Nick goes opens the back door to find that Robin had already unbuckled himself and allowed himself to be carried down the car.

"They have pretty…big servings. Good thing you've got an appetite on ya."

As he pushed open the door, he couldn't help but feel a wave of nostalgia as the same retro style interiors greeted him. Of course, certain things were different. They'd repainted the walls to more colourful pastel tones and the furniture looked new. The after-school crowd was in and young mammals – some even much larger than him, milled about or sat in booths with their friends enjoying some scoops of ice cream.

"Nicky? That you? Well dam- ah, hey there little fella."

Nick smirked up at the old elephant. They might have had a uncomfortable past - but it was all behind them now.

"How you doin' old pal? Happened to drive by and thought I'd bring my son to this old place for some well-deserved ice cream."

There was clear pride in his voice as the young fox looked about him with wide-eyed wonder. Nick made a note to himself that they should have more father-son outings.

"Well, two special sundaes comin' right up then. What's your name little fella."

"Robin."

Nick ruffled the top of his little head.

"Hey bud, you know what's special about this place?"

Nick smiles as his kit turned his head, his mouth still parted in awe.

"It's where I met your mother."

* * *

"Okay, so you've got that little card I gave you? Always keep it with you. If you get lost, you enter in the numbers in that little phone I put in your backpack. Just like I taught you last night. Got that, bud?"

Robin could barely open his mouth to reply before Nick goes off again.

"If the kits at school are mean to you, you tell your pops okay? I'll scare them straight."

" _Nick_."

Judy rolls her eyes and turns in her seat to smile at her son.

"Excited for your first day, baby?"

Robin nodded enthusiastically and Judy only gushes over how adorable and smart he looks in his neat school uniform. Thea seemed to join in with her mother and squealed happily towards her brother.

"Don't ever take candy from strange mammals. Wait, any mammals for that matter. And don't stray too far from your class. Listen to your teacher. Play nice – well, you're the nice boy here, but if any single brat is mean to you, you gotta tell me, okay? And remember to use that phone! Don't follow strange mammals into vans – or any vehicle for that matter. Except if it's Uncle Finn's. Wait, no. Don't even get into Uncle Finn's. Wouldn't want you eating those brownies of his-"

"Good Noah, your father's a mess. Nick, it's _kindergarten_ not the police academy! What's going to go wrong?"

Nick ignores his wife and the palpitations he's having. Why was he feeling so anxious? It was Judy's pregnancy all over again. The thought made him pale and he glanced over to his wife.

"Judy, are you pregnant?"

"Um…No."

"You sure?"

His eyes drift to her belly and he feels the intensity of her glare on his head.

"For the sake of our marriage, I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."

He blinks at the reply as his wife glared at him. Of course she wasn't.

"Heh..heh…"

Nick gulps hard as they approach the colourful picket fence of the kindergarten. Little mammals screamed and sobbed into their parent's arms, refusing to go to school.

"You know Robin; you can always wait a year- "

"Bye Mama. Bye Thea."

He gives each lady a soft kiss to the cheek and unbuckled himself from his kit seat. Nick scrambled out of his to open the car door for him.

"Bye…Papa."

He feels little arms curl around his knees for a brief moment and a sweet smile thrown up at him before the little fox hurries into the small building made to look like a cottage.

"Nick? You oka- Oh...Oh, _honey_ …"

Judy's next to him now rubbing his back gently with an amused smile twitching on her lips. Nick brushed her off gently before hastily wiping away the moisture in his eyes and climbed back into the car.

* * *

Another day out in the field and Nick's lining up for coffee at a quaint little café for Wolfard and himself. They were about to do a stake out and they were going to need all the caffeine he could get. Judy had the day off and was over at his mother's with the kits.

He idly flipped through photos on his phone – a habit he finds himself doing when he was away from his family for more than six hours. Wolfard thinks it's an endearing habit.

He paused at the most recent photo – one of Robin carefully tying his little bowtie for his first day of school. He looked so focused, with his little tongue sticking out and his head bent over to keep a close eye on the cloth around his neck. Nick had spent the night before that day teaching him the knot just as his dad did and he felt his chest puff up in pride.

"Aw, is that precious little angel your son?"

A kindly leopard, balancing a little cub of her own on her hip looked over his shoulder.

"Yes, he is. Was his first day of school."

The mother placed a paw on her chest, sighing softly with a smile.

"Oh, I remember when my oldest went off for his first day of school. Cried up a storm, I did."

Nick chuckled and stroked a paw over the picture tenderly. He'd been a little teary-eyed himself. Okay, he might have had to be comforted by Judy the ride back. But ever since Judy told him that he'd finally marked his son – the real cause of his anxiety that day, he never felt more like a father than the day Thea was conceived.

He was a father of two kits, husband of a bunny and a Detective for the Fraud Investigations unit. If his old self from only four years ago knew that this was going to his future, he might have bust a lung from laughing so hard.

* * *

They figure out his birthday two days before Winter's Solstice from the therapist.

" _He recounted that on the same day every year, his mother secretly gave him chocolate and told him it's a special day just for him. I think it's pretty safe to assume it is his birthday."_

That meant they only had a week to throw together a birthday party and naturally, Judy was in a wreck. They were out on a long awaited date night that would not have happened unless Grandma Wilde shooed them off and took the kits in. But as was any other date night after having their kits, they ended up going to their favourite, isolated bridge in the Lower District for a moonlit picnic followed by a night of lazy sex and Nutflix in the comfort of their home. Then they do nothing but talk about their kits. Ah, married life.

"He's turning five! That's an important milestone!"

"Sweetheart, I'm sure he'd be content with a small family dinner. Maybe we'll invite some of his favourite aunts and uncles from the precinct but no more than that. You know he doesn't like big crowds."

"Yeah…you're probably right. Wow Slick, when did you become so… _fatherly_?"

"Mrs Wilde, I'm offended."

"Mr Hopps, I'd say it suits you very, _very_ well. Pretty attractive."

Nick snorted but pressed a lazy kiss to his wife's ear. They were cuddled together in bed, going over their plans for the Winter's Solstice break. It was a special one compared to the previous years'. They had two new family members now and it was their first Solstice.

Robin had been making remarkable improvements and that week marked the second month in a row where he wasn't woken by night terrors. He was doing brilliantly in school and the teacher had praised him for being two grades above the reading level of kits his age.

Judy and himself couldn't be any prouder.

It hadn't been easy, but they were glad that they managed to pull through it all.

His wife's paw brushed over the dark markings on his chest – tattoos that he'd gotten after losing a bet with Finnick. At least the fennec had the mercy to let him choose what to get.

He watched as his wife traced over the tiny paw prints of their kits on the left side of his chest – right over his heart. Nick had a morbid fear of needles, but after the entire ordeal, he had to admit it was worth it.

Much like fatherhood.

* * *

 **A/N: As I've said, do check out Nick's Gift and follow up with Growing Pains for more Parent!Wildehopps. Hope you've enjoyed this drabble! Do leave your thoughts :)**


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